1.

Writing Basic
SQL Statements
Basic SELECT Statement

SELECT [DISTINCT] {*, column [alias],...}

FROM table;

– SELECT identifies what columns

– FROM identifies which table
Selecting All Columns

SQL> SELECT *
2 FROM dept;

DEPTNO DNAME LOC

--------- -------------- -------------
10 ACCOUNTING NEW YORK
20 RESEARCH DALLAS
30 SALES CHICAGO
40 OPERATIONS BOSTON
Selecting Specific Columns

SQL> SELECT deptno, loc

2 FROM dept;

DEPTNO LOC
--------- -------------
10 NEW YORK
20 DALLAS
30 CHICAGO
40 BOSTON
Arithmetic Expressions
• Create expressions on NUMBER and
DATE data by using arithmetic
operators.
Operator Description

+ Add

- Subtract

* Multiply

/ Divide
Using Arithmetic Operators
SQL> SELECT ename, sal, sal+300
2 FROM emp;

ENAME SAL SAL+300

---------- --------- ---------
KING 5000 5300
BLAKE 2850 3150
CLARK 2450 2750
JONES 2975 3275
MARTIN 1250 1550
ALLEN 1600 1900
...
14 rows selected.
Using Parentheses
SQL> SELECT ename, sal, 12*(sal+100)
2 FROM emp;

ENAME SAL 12*(SAL+100)

---------- --------- -----------
KING 5000 61200
BLAKE 2850 35400
CLARK 2450 30600
JONES 2975 36900
MARTIN 1250 16200
...
14 rows selected.
Defining a Null Value
– A null is a value that is unavailable,
unassigned, unknown, or
inapplicable.
– A null is not the same as zero or a
blank space.
SQL> SELECT ename, job, comm
2 FROM emp;

ENAME JOB COMM

---------- --------- ---------
KING PRESIDENT
BLAKE MANAGER
...
TURNER SALESMAN 0
...
14 rows selected.
Null Values in Arithmetic
Expressions
• Arithmetic expressions containing a null value
evaluate to null.
SQL> select ename NAME, 12*sal+comm
2 from emp
3 WHERE ename='KING';

NAME 12*SAL+COMM
---------- -----------
KING
Using Column Aliases
SQL> SELECT ename AS name, sal salary
2 FROM emp;

NAME SALARY
------------- ---------
...

SQL> SELECT ename "Name",

2 sal*12 "Annual Salary"
3 FROM emp;

Name Annual Salary

------------- -------------
...
Concatenation Operator

– Concatenates columns or character

strings to other columns
– Is represented by two vertical bars (||)
– Creates a resultant column that is a
character expression
Using the Concatenation
Operator
SQL> SELECT ename||job AS "Employees"
2 FROM emp;

Employees
-------------------
KINGPRESIDENT
BLAKEMANAGER
CLARKMANAGER
JONESMANAGER
MARTINSALESMAN
ALLENSALESMAN
...
14 rows selected.
Literal Character Strings

– A literal is a character, expression, or

number included in the SELECT list.
– Date and character literal values must
be enclosed within single quotation
marks.
– Each character string is output once
for each row returned.
Using Literal Character
Strings
SQL> SELECT ename ||' '||'is a'||' '||job
2 AS "Employee Details"
3 FROM emp;

Employee Details
-------------------------
KING is a PRESIDENT
BLAKE is a MANAGER
CLARK is a MANAGER
JONES is a MANAGER
MARTIN is a SALESMAN
...
14 rows selected.
Duplicate Rows
• The default display of queries is
all rows, including duplicate
rows.
SQL> SELECT deptno
2 FROM emp;

DEPTNO
---------
10
30
10
20
...
14 rows selected.
Eliminating Duplicate Rows
Eliminate duplicate rows by using the
DISTINCT keyword in the SELECT clause.
SQL> SELECT DISTINCT deptno
2 FROM emp;

DEPTNO
---------
10
20
30
Displaying Table Structure

• Use the SQL*Plus DESCRIBE

command to display the structure of
aDESC[RIBE]
table. tablename
Displaying Table Structure

SQL> DESCRIBE dept

Name Null? Type

----------------- -------- ------------
DEPTNO NOT NULL NUMBER(2)
DNAME VARCHAR2(14)
LOC VARCHAR2(13)